Highway Robbery at Avenue: The $20 Jack and Coke

As promised on Grubstweet, Paul Sevigny D.J.-ed at the newly opened Avenue last night. The Bea’s doormen Angelo and Todd assisted Marquee’s Wass while Chloë herself held court inside, having come from a preview of a new restaurant, Hotel Griffou, in the former Mary Ann’s Chelsea Marylou’s space that one of her dining companions likened to Flatbush Farm. Needless to say, the crowd was also very Beatrice, and they were smoking (by that we either mean they were smoking hot or they were smoking ciggies and weed — draw your own conclusions). Noah Tepperberg was working the floor and must’ve been surprised to discover that, actually, there is room to dance in the bi-level club — er, gastrolounge. And here’s what we were surprised to discover when we ordered a Jack and Coke and a tap water (“You mean you don’t want to pay $10 for a bottled water?” the bartender quipped): Mixed drinks cost $16. And if you’re ordering from a waitress, an automatic 20 percent gratuity is added to your watered-down, sloppily dispensed Jack and Coke in a plastic glass, which means they cost $19.20 (or $20 if you don’t want to look cheap by taking the change). Tepperberg told us he wasn’t going to push bottle service here — and with drink prices like these, who needs to?